Hero Indian Open – The debrief

The three-event Asian Swing ends with one of the DP World Tour’s most popular figures making a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle. Here is everything you need to know from the Hero Indian Open.

Siem wins German duel to end eight-year wait for fifth Tour title

Two weeks on from making his 500th Tour appearance, Marcel Siem claimed a long-awaited fifth DP World Tour title as a closing 68 saw him claim a one-shot victory at the 56th edition of India’s national open. Not since the 2014 BMW Masters in China had the 42-year-old tasted success on Tour but that all changed on Sunday as he edged out fellow German Yannik Paul at DLF Golf and Country Club. He began the final round one shot adrift of Paul, who was chasing his second Tour success, but he made four birdies over the first 11 holes to lead by two. However, a two-shot swing at the 13th left the countrymen level at the top of the leaderboard. Siem recovered well to birdie the 15th from 15 feet for a fifth birdie of the day, before three closing pars ensured he finished on 14 under to become the first German to win India’s national open. His triumph comes after back-to-back top 20s in Singapore and Thailand and has lifted him 44 places to eighth in the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex. "Winning a golf tournament, being back in the winner’s circle now, it means everything to me. It’s just unbelievable,” said Siem, who secured his card for the 2023 season at the Qualifying School in November.

A popular winner

Siem was the toast of the town after his triumph on the Tour’s return to India for the first time in four years. After carding a 67 on Saturday to reduce Paul’s halfway lead from five shots to just one, Siem admitted winning a fifth Tour title would be a “life-changer”. After rolling in a three-foot par putt at the 18th, he described the win as a “second kickstart” to his career. Two years ago, he caught the imagination of the wider public by winning the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge on the European Challenge Tour after a run of 13 weeks on the road to claim the final available spot at The 149th Open at Royal St George’s. As Siem put it during his post-round interview, this win will live long on his memory: “Two years ago I wasn't even sure if I could still compete on the DP World Tour and now I'm a winner again, come on.” His story of hard work and perseverance is not lost on his fellow professionals. “A very special win for a top guy,” said 2018 Ryder Cup-winning Captain and 15-time Tour winner Thomas Bjørn.

Paul, Luiten and Olesen continue strong recent run

After struggling to produce his best during the Desert Swing, Paul has since found form and will hope another opportunity to claim a second Tour title isn’t long in the waiting. For the second week running, the 28-year-old was left to settle for second place after finishing four behind Thorbjørn Olesen in Thailand. The 2021 Challenge Tour Graduate earned his breakthrough success on Tour at the Mallorca Golf Open towards the end of last season and is well placed inside the top ten on the season-long rankings. Additionally, Paul has moved into the automatic spots for the Ryder Cup European Points List. Another player who will head into the first rest week of the 2023 season high in confidence will be Joost Luiten. A second consecutive 68 in Gurugram helped the six-time Tour winner from the Netherlands finish third for the second week running. Speaking of players in fine form, Olesen put in another good performance to finish sixth and continue his stellar start to the season. The Dane, who won his seventh Tour title last week, now sits fourth in the Race to Dubai rankings.

DLF Golf and Country Club proves stern test

The challenging Gary Player Course at DLF Golf and Country Club, which has been the host venue of the Hero Indian Open since 2017, once again provided a tough examination. Siem’s winning total of 14 under is the highest score by two strokes to earn victory so far on the 2023 Tour schedule, while four over is the highest cut mark this campaign. Across the four rounds of competition, only seven players managed to record bogey-free rounds underlining the difficulty of the course. The par-four 14th - the toughest hole all tournament - was one of 11 to play over par last week.

Bunker ruling

Ever wondered what the ruling would be if two balls collided in a bunker? Well, you're about to find out after the scenario played out involving Shubhankar Sharma and Gavin Green during the second round ...